Born William Henry "Bill" Gates III has an estimated net worth of $17.18 billion according to Forbes as of March 2014.
Regarded as one of the most influential persons of the 20th century, Bill Gates born on Oct 28 1955 is an American business magnet, futurist and philanthropist and the founder and chairman of Microsoft Corp Ltd. With his early interest in software and he began programming at the age of 13, Bill Gates is credited for revolutionizing the computer world through his highly user-oriented inventions and aggressive business approach. Gates, one of the greatest business minds of all time always tries to broaden his knowledge and capacity to absorb ideas.
Reading, learning and blue sky brainstorming is considered to be the integral part of his job description. This Harvard dropout was on top of the world’s richest man list of Forbes and still sits at the 2nd spot after he donated $ 30 B of his wealth to charity. Reckoned as a leading philanthropist, he along with his wife Melinda Gates established the “Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’ in 2000 which is incidentally the world’s largest transparently operated charitable foundation. Through this foundation this America’s richest person hopes to eradicate the poverty and provide support for improving health in poor countries.

"Life is not fair; get used to it."

"Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important."

"If you can’t make it good, at least make it look good."

"We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten. Don’t let yourself be lulled into inaction."

"Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning."

"Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one."

"As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others."

"It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure."

"Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose."

"If I’d had some set idea of a finish line, don’t you think I would have crossed it years ago?"

Gates has a habit of rocking compulsively in his chair. While giving an interview, he says it helps him to think.

When Gates was young, his parents thought that he was “dramatically underachieving” at school. They even had him seen by a psychiatrist, which would give him tests and various books to read. His interaction with him lasted for around 1 and a half year.

When Gates was at Harvard, he often frequented the Combat Zone, the home of hookers, drugs and adult films, although he “didn’t do anything, just watched what was going on.

Bill gates have a penchant for driving fast and have also got few speeding tickets. Once while driving from Albuquerque to Seattle Gates, he got two speeding tickets from the same cop.

Gates has also appeared in a film titled 'Waiting For Superman'

Did you know that Bill Gates did not like to wear a watch until they came up with one called a SPOT watch that almost never leaves his hand now!

In an interview, both Bill and his wife have stated this fact that they do not own any of the Apple product, neither do they oblige to any of their child's request to buy an Apple product.

Bill Gates is known for his brusque management style. In fact, if he didn't approve of an idea of his employees, he would blurt out things like “that’s the stupidest thing that I have ever heard”.

Bill Gates Estates and Homes (1)

Xanadu 2.0

Billionaire Bill Gates lives in an uber-modern house built in a Pacific lodge style. It has a water front area of approximately 500 feet and is spread over 66, 000 sq feet. Noted for its cutting-edge technology, this is an earth-sheltered home carved into the side of a hill that overlooks Lake Washington. It has seven bedrooms, 24 bathrooms including 10 full baths, six kitchens and equal number of fire places.

Décor: A number of ground breaking technologies have been applied in new and fascinating ways to make this home more livable. Seven varieties of stone, along with a great deal of wood and glass have been in its interiors. It features a large private library with dome shaped roof and oculus. It also has an Olympic sized private swimming pool with an underwater music system with a floor painted in fossil motif. The exercise facilities include all luxuries like sauna, steam room and a trampoline room with a 20 foot ceiling. A 20-seat art deco theater spread over 1500 sq feet, a wall dominated by 22-foot wide video display and 4-car attached garage aggrandizes the opulence of this home. In terms of technology, this home easily outclasses its nearest competitor by miles.

Technology: 100’s of microcomputers are used, which make day to day tasks a breeze. The lights are computer controlled and would gradually come on when you come home. Speakers are hidden beneath the wallpaper to allow music to follow you from room to room. Portable touch pads control everything from the TV sets to the temperature and the lights, which brighten or dim to fit the occasion or to match the outdoor light. The guests to Bill Gates House are surveyed and given a special pin to wear upon entrance. This small pin connects them to the home’s electronic services, which automatically adapts to their tastes.

Technologically advance

Cutting-edge technology

Earth-sheltered home carved into the side of a hill

Bill's house

An aerial view of the mansion

Bill Gates Islands (1)

Grand Bogue Caye

Through his world’s largest software company Microsoft, Bill Gates has earned himself a fortune that few people can even dream of. So, it does not come as a surprise that he owns the largest island in republic of Belize; The Grand Bugue Island. This inviting piece of land is known for its superb beaches and an astounding variety of marine life, which consists of colorful sponges, tunicates, sparkling starfish and dolphins. The changing colors of water, which ranges from the deepest of blue to palest green, add to the mysticism and beauty of the place. Also, this land promises excellent and multiple opportunities for large scale resort development and tourism.

Grand Bogue Caye

Grand Bogue, totaling about 314 acres, has large beaches, coral flats, and forests.

Bill Gates Hobbies (3)

Reading

Gates love reading magazines and journals. His regular reads include the every page of The Economist, The Wall Street Journal and Business Week. At times, he also goes through issues of Time and People. To satiate his intellectual hunger he has built a full-fledged library at his waterfront estate in Washington DC.

Art Collection

Bill has a knack of collecting the rarest pieces of art. Even if he has to shell out millions of dollars for that, it hardly matters.

Listening music

Bill has a rich taste in music. His favorites include Frank Sinatra.

Bill Gates Autos and Cars (3)

1999 Porsche 911 convertible

The Porsche 911 Carrera is a love at the first sight. But it is much more than just a car with its outstanding visual appeal and shiny edges. Under its hood is a 3.4 liter 24-valve 6-cylinder engine which develops 296 horsepower and a torque of 258 lb. The rear-mounted, water-cooled engine renders awesome acceleration taking the car from 0 to 60 mph in just around 5 seconds. Being a self-professed speed lover, Bill certainly has taken fancy to this car. Taking engineering to higher levels, Porche designed this convertible using copious amount of stainless steel, which has increased its torsional stiffness by 45 percent and bending stiffness by 50 percent relative to its coupe version. The manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) begins at $74,460 ($109,000 Canadian) for the Cabriolet.

1988 Porsche 959 Coupe

Once titled as the world’s fastest street–legal production car, the 1988 Porsche 959 Coupe, was first introduced as a Group B rally car and later as a legal production car designed for satisfying FIA regulations requiring that a minimum number of 200 street legal units be built. It was recognized as the most technologically advanced road-going sports car ever built and the progenitor of all future super cars. In total only 337 units were built making it quite a collector’s edition. There is an interesting story associated with Bill gates’s 959. "Gates 959", as it is popularly called was stored for 13 years by the Customs Service at the Port of Seattle, until regulations were changed to allow "Autos of Interest" to be imported with severe limitations on their use. Rumor goes that both Gates and Allen used their might to help pass the "Show and Display" law, due to which they are able to drive 959 despite its unknown crash ratings. Rumor also has it that Bill Gates and Paul Allen especially wrote a computer program that could simulate the 959’s crashworthiness, which further helped in the bill’s passage.

Porsche 959 Coupe

Other than Bill Gates, Paul Allen also owns one of these 337 cars.

Porsche motors

One of the popular automobiles company on the planet

Porsche 930 Turbo

The Porsche 930 was bought by Bill Gates in his early days of Microsoft. Being a top-of-the-range model for its entire production duration, this was the fastest production car available in Germany at the time of its introduction. This car had a 260 PS engine which provided an output of 191 kW and 256 hp. This car would reach the speed of 0 to 60 mph in just 5.2 seconds and had a top speed of 153 mph.

Porsche 930 Turbo

It has a top speed of 153 mph.

Deluxe interiors

Deluxe seats and boot tonneau covers with luxurious carpet sets

Bill Gates Wedding (1)

The first time Bill and Melinda met was in 1987, when they were sitting beside each other at a Microsoft press event in Manhattan, New York. After years of dating and getting to know each other, these two finally got engaged in 1993. Bill proposed to Melinda in a rather dramatic style, when he secretly diverted a chartered plane they were taking home from Palm Springs to land in Omaha. There they were greeted by long time friend Warren Buffett who not only arranged to have a jewelry store open, but also helped them pick a ring. The marriage ceremony took place on the 1st of January, 1994 among closest of friends. The $1 million affair was held at 12th tee of the Manele Bay Hotel golf course at the Hawaiian island of Lanai. The ceremony rites were performed by William J Sullivan S.J Seattle University Chancellor and Steve Ballmer was Bill’s best man. Melinda was at her charming best in the $10,000 designed by Victoria Glenn of Seattle, made out of silk-faced organza. Bill also looked gracious in black slacks and a white dinner jacket. Bill put his best efforts to ensure complete privacy for the occasion and therefore rented each of 250 hotel rooms and chartered every helicopter within the vicinity. The wedding reception had around 130 attendees which included names like Warren Buffet, Paul Allen, Craig McCaw, and Katharine Graham. The entertainer for the night was Willie Nelson who put on an exciting show for Bill and his guests at the reception. They chose Wakaya Club in Fiji for spending a part of their honeymoon.

Manele Bay Hotel

The hotel had its share of limelight since it was the venue of the wedding ceremony.

The backyard of hotel

This scenic backyard played host to 130 guests who attended the marriage.

Bill Gates Holiday Destinations(Getaways) (1)

West Greenland

Bill’s favorite holiday getaway is the Apussuit Adventure Camp, a remote skiing resort located 15 miles from Maniitsoq, West Greenland. Whenever he needs respite from the hectic travel and work schedule for his non-profit organization Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, he hops onto a helicopter to this place, which has no ski lifts and is also devoid of any human settlement.

Bill Gates Cause (2)

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Founded in 1994 after the death of Bill’s mother Mary Maxwell Gates, the foundation was originally named as the William H. Gates foundation. It was renamed to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 1999. Merged with the Gates Learning Foundation in 2000, it has Melinda Gates, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet as its three trusties. With an endowment of around US $30 billion, it is the world's largest philanthropic organization. The main aim of the foundation is to to enhance healthcare and reduce extreme poverty.

Bill and Melinda Gates

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Bill And Melinda Together

Bill And Melinda Together

thegivingpledge

The Giving Pledge is a campaign to encourage the wealthiest people in the United States to make a commitment to give most of their money to philanthropic causes. The campaign specifically targets billionaires and was made public in 2010 by the two wealthiest people in the United States, billionaires Warren Buffett and Bill Gates.

Bill Gates Collectibles (6)

Codex Leicester (Book)

Bought by Bill Gates in 1994 in an auction for a record price of $30.8 million, this book is by far the most expensive book ever sold. It is one of the most celebrated works of Leonardo da Vinci. The book is a documentation of various scientific findings and writings that he did over the course of his lifetime.

Named after Thomas Cook, the Codex provides rare insights into the observations and theories that Leonardo made mainly on astronomy. A fan of Leonardo’s work, this is what Bill had to say about the purchase, “Yeah, I feel very lucky that I own a notebook. In fact, I remember going home one night and telling my wife Melinda that I was going to buy a notebook; she didn't think that was a very big deal. I said, no, this is a pretty special notebook; this is the Codex Leicester, one of the Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci. And I personally have always been amazed by him because he personally worked out science on his own, and he understood things that no other scientist of that time did. And his work is amazing. He would work by drawing things and writing down his ideas.”

Lost on the Grand Banks (Painting)

Lost on the Grand Banks, an oil painting and was bought by Bill Gates in 1998 for a record US $36 million, making it the most expensive American painting in the history. It's a work of a preeminent American landscape painter and printmaker, Winslow Homer, was who was largely known for his exploits in marine subjects.

Polo Crowd (Painting)

George Bellows's painting Polo Crowd, a 1910 artwork found an able buyer in an auction in December 1999, where it was bought by Bill Gates for a whopping sum of $ 28 million. George was an amazing realist painter, whose painting most often depicted the crudity and chaos of the urban class of New York City.

Room of Flowers (Painting)

Frederick Childe Hassam's work ‘Room of Flowers’ fetched a price of $ 20 million and was bought by none other than Bill Gates, putting him in the list of important art collectors of the 20th century. A prolific impressionist painter, Frederick Childe was a prominent name involved in promoting impressionism to American collectors, dealers and especially the museums.

The Nursery (Painting)

The Nursery is an oil on panel art work that was recently bought by Bill Gates for US $10 million from a Michigan collector Richard Manoogian. It was one of the best paintings of William Merritt Chase, that he finished in 1890. He was more of a teacher than painter himself, but nevertheless emerged as the most important figure on the art scene when he was elected as the president of Society of American Artists in 1880.

Distant Thunder (Painting)

Bill Gates bought this painting for a sum of $7 million back in 1996. A creation of Andrew Wythe, Distant Thunder is one of the most popular artwork of the 20th century. Andrew Wythe, a realist painter who preferred to work in a regionalist style is best known for one of the most well-known images of 20th century American art, the painting of Christina’s World. Ironically, he was also one of the most criticized artists of recent history.

Bill Gates Brands (1)

Microsoft Spot Watch

One of the richest men in the world, Bill Gates, never used to wear a watch till some years ago. Now, he wears a SPOT watch that not only allows him to keep the track of time but also delivers him news via FM transmission.